Phish
10/26/24 MVP Arena
Albany, NY
For their only Fall shows in 2024, Phish set up shop at the MVP Arena (formerly The Knick, formerly The Pepsi, formerly The Times Union Center...) to play three nights in the Capital District as benefit shows for the newly opened Divided Sky Residential Recovery Program in Ludlow, Vermont. This is a project close to the bands heart and the fans came out in full force supporting the worthy cause.
The Saturday night, sold out show followed the Friday night event, which saw the band pay tribute to their friend Phil Lesh who passed away earlier in the day. While Friday night had a celebratory feel, Saturday was much more experimental.
The first set was a bit up and down, after the solid "Possum" opener, the band delivered an OK version of "Sigma Oasis" and a excellent "Get Back On The Train" which guitarist Trey Anastasio lead with great energy. While the group is very clearly a four headed monster, some nights a band member seems to shine a touch brighter than the others. For this show keyboardist Page McConnell was playing above and beyond, loudly leading the charge in many of the best songs on the night.
"Stash" was a blast and had stop/starts and teases of "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" while the first set highlight arrived via the disco funk of a completely locked in "Tube" jam. "Bathtub Gin" found the band moving in the direction it would relish during the shows second set as the tune fell into a dissonant jam that at times was angular and abrasive but wrapped up well.
It should also be noted here that during "Bathtub Gin" in particular (but the whole show really) Chris Kuroda's lights were jaw dropping. Blasting a rainbow of electro colors out around the band that represented fireworks, pinwheels and blazing explosions; while Phish has musically evolved, and favorite eras can be debated, it is impossible to argue that Kuroda's light shows have only gotten better as the veteran band continue their journey.
The feeling of more adventurous, less groove based playing, dominated the second set. An odd and very brief "Prince Caspian" opened things before another brief tune "Down with Disease" fell into "Ruby Waves". It was here where the band layered loops, sounds, skittering drumming and synths on top of each other over and over again, creating an uneasy sense of dissonance. The band used this to drop into "Fuego" which, after the lyrical section, fell right back into chaos as the jam was clanging with some big bass bombs from Mike Gordon as he and McConnell seemed to be revving up the synths and pedal work as Anastasio's guitar and Jon Fishman's drums fell into support roles.
The group flowed directly into the gorgeous instrumental "What's The Use" that brilliantly brought the house down to silence then back up again. The off-kilter playing surprisingly appeared again in the oblique jam for "Golden Age" as Fishman's percussion was a highlight before the ballad "Lonely Trip" and a tight "Harry Hood" ended a unique set.
The encore started with an energetic "Golgi Apparatus" and the band saved their best for last as they closed the whole night with a soaring version of the Phish classic "Slave To The Traffic Light" that showered the audience in red and white lights and layers of gorgeous playing; a show highlight.
Phish have been at this for a long time, and have crafted a unique fan environment, one in which people are excited to travel around the country to see the quartet. When they play shows for a good cause so close to their home state of Vermont there always seems to be something extra delivered and Saturday night was just another example of their dexterity as a band.
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Support the artists, support the Divided Sky Residential Recovery Program and peep some video below:
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